Even Lionel Messi Wears a Heart Rate Monitor

Even Lionel Messi wears a heart rate monitor, the best player in the world. You’d think he’d refuse to wear that sports bra, must be kind of uncomfortable, right? He’d be like yeah, track my movements and how much I run, try to learn something about how I play the game of soccer. Sure.

What’s interesting about Messi’s style of play is his change of pace, can they track or measure that? Messi sometimes appears to just walk around the pitch, cleverly hiding out almost, finding those pockets of space where the defenders lose him. I’m sure there are some useful things to learn from the sports bra or monitor but Messi’s style of play breaks the mold.

The key component of the system is the Viper pod, a matchbox-sized GPS device which sits between the shoulder blades, where it monitors heart rate and measures various aspects of physiological performance. The black vests which hold them in place have become a common sight on training grounds up and down the country, and the pods can be worn during matches, too.

Lionel Messi was seen wearing a Viper pod in the opening games of last season as Barcelona carefully eased him back into domestic action after an arduous summer at the Copa America, and the technology’s popularity has risen sharply in recent years. Richard Byrne, the head of business development at STATSports, explains how it works. Sky Sports

Messi is finishing the season in spectacular form. The Argentinian star has reached the milestone of 500 official goals for FC Barcelona and he did so with a brilliant brace against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. One of the goals scored in the last minute gave the blaugranas an epic 3-2 victory in El Clásico and the Camp Nou paid tribute to the Barça star in the Osasuna match.

Have you ever asked yourself what a day in the life of Messi is like before he trains or plays? In the following video, you’ll discover how he experiences a training day at the Ciutat Esportiva as well as away trips with the squad and match days at the Camp Nou. You’ll also see how Messi is welcomed at airports and how he returns the love. Don’t miss this exclusive video!